Fire-escape ladder



the window-sill or otherposition desired, and

V 4o jection of the same; Fig. 5, a section of the box,

.of Illinois, have invented certain new and usesection.

. View of the ladder hanging from a window,

sections each; Fig. 2, aslde view of the same;

details of the joint connecting the series of the I UNITED STATES QPATENT OF ICE.

CHARLES T. MERRITT, OF HYDE PARK, ILLINOIS.

FlR lE-ESCAPE LA/DDER.

SPECIFICATION" forming part of Letters Patent No. 283,008, dated August14, 1883.

Application filed February 8, 1883. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern: A Be it known that 1, CHARLES T. MERRITT, acitizen of the United States, and residing in Hyde Park, in the countyof Cook and State ful Improvements in Fire-Escape Ladders, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The object of my invention is a fire-escape ladder which does not renderthe exterior of a building unsightly, and which, by folding, as hereindescribed, will not occupy space designed for other purposes, and whichwill afford to occupants of abuilding as easy ameans of escape as astationary ladder. Theladder may be made of wood, iron, or othersuitable material, and is constructed in sections of two or more roundseach, the top section of the extended ladder being the larger, and eachsucceeding section being smaller until a new series of sections isadvisable. These sections are joined together by bolts, and when theladder is not in use the smaller sections may be folded within thepreceding 16 rger one, and thus several feet of the ladder when foldedwill only occupy the space of the first or larger When anew series ofsections is deemedadvisable, the succeeding sections may in turn befoldeclwithin the first section ofthat series. The ladder is fastened bychains to the bottom of a box of proper size, fixed in when not in usemay be folded within the box. In the drawings, Figure 1 represents afront the ladder being made of three series of four Fig. 3, the verticalprojection, showing the sections of the ladder; Fig. 4, a horizontalproshowing ladder folded in it, lid of the box open and broken off tosave space Fig. 6, a top view of the box open with ladder folded within;Fig. 7, a side view of another form for the projection connecting theseries of the sections; Fig. 8, a horizontalview of the same.

Similar letters refer to similar parts through out the several views.

a to represent the chains to which the ladder is attached; I), the boxin which the ladder can be folded d d, the projections connectingdifferent series of the sections; was, the section connecting c and c,as shown in Figs. 7

and 8- c c c c sections of the series; 6 c e e bolts which join thesections; A, the sill inside the window; 0, the window-frame; D, theoutside sill; XV, the wall in which thebox b is placed. enough,the boxmay be placed in such a position that the sides of the ladder whenfolded will lie at right angles to the window, so that the ladder willmore readily unfold. The projection (Z is only needed at the sectionswhere anew series is deemed advisable, and should project, so as toallow 0 to fold over 0, as shown in Fig. 5. I11 Figs. 7 and 8, I connectthe series of sections by means of the sections m a;,'which areconnected to the sides of the section 0* by bolts, while the rodconnecting the sides of the section 0 passes through the sections a" a.A shoulder should be made in the rod connecting the sides of the sectionWhere the inside sill is wide c so'that the connecting sections a: mwillnot sides of the section, and the rounds of the third section as in thefirst section, &c., as shown in the drawings, Figs. 1 and 2. I

By constructing the ladder in the manner shown it willreadily fold, andthe sections 0",

c", and 0* will fold within a, and the next series of sections within0". WVhen the ladder is folded in the box at right angles to the window,it may be lifted from the box in sections, and a rope may be'attach edto the lower round, so that it may be fastened.

Having fully described my invention, what I desire to claim and secureby- Letters Patent 1S.-

1. A ladder consisting of a series of sections of one or more roundseach, so constructed that the section 0" will fold within c 0 within 0and 0 within 0, 0 being connected with the next series of sections bythe sections w 00 or the horizontal projection d, substanwithin 0, 0"Within 0, 850., said ladder being to tially as shown and described.fastened by chains to the bottom of the box in 2. A fire-escape laddermade in a series of which it may be folded, substantially assetsections, the rounds of the ladder of each secforth and described. tionbeing on o posite' sides from the reced- 5 ing section so gonstructedthat the se tion c CHARLES MERRITT' will fold within 0 0 within 0 and 0*within Vitnesses: c, and by means of the connecting sections 00 x CALVINDEXVOLF, the section 0 will fold over 0, a being folded WVA'LLAOE L. DEVow.

